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Nursing Assistant responsibilities and duties

A nursing assistant has to work under other nurses' supervision to provide optimum care to the patients. There are many nursing assistant responsibilities and duties. However, the number one priority for any nursing assistant is looking after the patients to help them recover. A nurse has to make sure that the patient is being taken care of. Along with all this, while working as a nursing assistant, a nurse will start learning new skills, which will eventually help her prepare well for her career.

This article will help you understand the different nursing assistant responsibilities and duties. Go through them all, and if you think you have the passion for taking care of these responsibilities, then yes, you could be the right fit for this noble profession. Read on.

Look after the basic needs

As a nurse assistant, you will be asked to take care of some of the patients' basic needs. Some patients may not be able to eat themselves. For these patients, you will become responsible for making them eat on time so that they stay healthy. Additionally, you will be asked to bathe, give medicines, and dress some patients too. Patients who have suffered from a stroke, heart attack, or paralyzed and elderly patients will usually require basic care needs. You may also have to take care of the basic needs of patients who are recovering from an injury, accident, or have gone through surgery.

Take vital signs of the patients

Recording and keeping track of patients' vital signs are part of nursing assistants' duties. You will be asked to take temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. These will have to be recorded when a patient visits a hospital for the first time. This means that a nurse assistant will have to be proactive and make a good impression on the entire medical team. Moreover, when patients get admitted, taking vital signs becomes a part of their responsibilities and duties. They will have to do it daily and sometimes multiple times a day.

Make the bed for the patients and keep the patient's room clean

A nurse assistant will have to keep the patient in neat and clean condition. From changing the soiled sheets to cleaning out bedpans, a nursing assistant will be given these responsibilities, and NA has to do them every day. Keeping the room clean for the patient is part of hygiene. Additionally, when a nurse does that, NA gets to have a chance to make a repo with the patient. Things like these help a nurse to build a compassionate relationship with the patient. And the more a patient receives, the better they feel.

Assist with medical procedures

Doctors and supervisors will require the help of nursing assistants as well. You may be asked to set up some medical equipment or store them. You may be asked to help others to move heavy medical equipment. And there are a few states that allow nurse assistants to be there for doctors, surgeons, and senior nurses and assist them with medical procedures. The responsibility could be as simple as drawing blood.

Analyze the changes in a patient's condition

Besides doing everything for the patient, a nurse has to be alert about the patient's condition. A nursing assistant has to keep a record of the patient's health. Are they feeling better than yesterday? How much have they recovered? In case of an emergency, you will have to be prompt and call for help. On top of everything, a nurse assistant has to be empathetic towards their patients. A patient may need some emotional support as well and when such cases arise, being there for the patient becomes prudent.

If you want to become a nurse assistant, it is better to learn about the nursing assistants' responsibilities and duties. After becoming a certified nurse assistant, you can work in different healthcare settings. To know more about the jobs related to certified nursing assistants, visit www.fsnursing.com.